Matthew 5:23-26 "So if you are about to offer your gift to God at the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar, go at once and make peace with your brother, and then come back and offer your gift to God. If someone brings a lawsuit against you and takes you to court, settle the dispute while there is time, before you get to court. Once you are there, you will be turned over to the judge, who will hand you over to the police, and you will be put in jail. There you will stay, I tell you, until you pay the last penny of your fine."

Like any good parent, God wants His children to live peacefully with each other. Our relationship with each other should be carefully guarded. We need to be quick to make amends for any wrong we have done and quick to forgive when wrong has been done to us. In the texts above, Jesus says that if a person is about to offer their gift to God at the alter, and while they are there, they remember someone has something against them, they are to leave the gift in front of the alter and quickly go make peace with the other person. Only after the problem has been resolved are they to come back and offer their gift. God doesn't want us to wait, or put off the job of making amends. He wants us to take care of the problem immediately.

In verse 23 Jesus is saying if someone is angry at you. He doesn't say if someone is angry without a good reason. He just says if someone is angry with you. When we realize someone is angry with us, even if it is unjustified, we need to do our best to resolve the problem. This does not mean we allow the angry person to cross over boundaries or run over us. We don't become doormats for their selfish behavior, but we do try to reason with them, making sure our words and actions are full of Christian love for the person. It is not our job to force them to see reason. Our job is to humbly try to reason with them. It is God's job to convict their hearts so that they will forgive. It is important to note here that if someone comes to us to make amends, we have a duty to forgive. "And when you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive it so that also your Father in Heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in Heaven forgive your trespasses." Mark 11:25-26

The next part of the instruction Jesus gave in Matthew 5:23-26 has to do with lawsuits. What Jesus says here is not only good advice for getting along with each other, it's also good financial advice. If someone is trying to bring a lawsuit against another person, it is best for both people if they can resolve the issue before going to court. The person being sued could find themselves with a hefty fine to pay. At the time Jesus gave this advice, the person could find themselves in prison and not be let out until the fine was paid. Today, the person would not end up in prison, but they may find themselves in financial difficulties trying to pay off the fine. The person bringing the lawsuit is taking a risk also. There's a chance things may not go their way. They will have wasted a lot of money on lawyers and court fees and still lost the case. It is much better financially if they can agree before going to court.

There are spiritual aspects to this. 1Timothy 2:8 says this, "In every church service I want the men to pray, men who are dedicated to God and can lift up their hands in prayer without anger or argument." When we come to church, we need to examine our hearts, especially before taking part in holy ordinances. God is always ready to listen to us. He is the person we should go to for help with our anger. When we refuse His help and refuse to correct our attitude, we are not letting Him have complete control over us, nor are we living according to His desires. We have walked away from Him. To pray as if we have done no wrong is to live and speak a lie to God. It is ridiculous to think we can lie to God and get away with it. He knows all. There is nothing we do or think that He is not aware of. We cannot hide anything from Him. Don't let anger keep you from going to church, but get rid of that anger quickly. Get on your knees and ask for God's help to remove the anger. You will be much happier and healthier without that anger boiling inside you.

"Do everything possible on your part to live in peace with everybody." Romans 12:18